Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1887-12-10
BIRDS Thai KNOW SOMETHING.
some wonderful Educated Parrots
I'm Paris.

in Paris.
An exhibition of educated parrO is re-
Gently heid in Paris showed very clearly
TO what a high state Of perfec ton these
BIRDS are capable of being trained. Their
stage was long table, at one end OF
which were perches, on which were
grouped half dozen parrots Four ot
these were cOckatOos-white, with yell
low crests; the other two were gray par
rO's. with the neck and under parts rose
color.
Among the tricks which they perform
at the bidding Of their owner, VI. ABBY,
are the following: Two liked bars on up-
right supports are placed on the table;
parrot climbs upon one OF them, turns
sOmerSauit keeps his head downward.
and, passing on to the second bar, goes
through the same exercise. Their owner
then calls Tom, a small white parrot
who comes toward him as if about TO
climb on one of the bars but runs back
again holding down his head and shak-
'ng his wings in grOtesque way. Tom
j. evidently the buffOon of the troupe. A
bell is then brought, with handle
which forms Il lever; a parrot advances,
and putting one foot on the lever. rings
the bell. The trainer asks the audience
what number Of rings they. wish for;
some one exciaims. ''sevenE and the
parrot rings the bell seven times.
The bird is then asked how much does
three times three make, and 1t replies by
ringing the bell nine times. A perch is
then placed on the table in the form Of'a
see-saw, at each end OF which a. gray
parrot perches, and in the. cspter, just
above The pivot jumps a magnificent
white parrot named Charley. the princl-
pal one in the troupe. This parrot
throwing the weight af his. body success
sivelv TO the right and. left of the pivot.
rocks the see-saw rapidly. To see the
animation of this bird during the per-
formance one would suppose that he
took real pleasure in rocking his COM
paniOns. :
The same bird then goes thrGugh an,
other exercise. Four fagstatfs are set,
I'D on the table, and at the foot of each
is FLAG attached to cord. which
spassss over q puily at the top. The flags
are English. French. Belgian and Amer
iean.- Onaof the audience asks fbr the
French fiag@ Charley advances, draws
"a fmself7 up erecting his bright Yellow
. crest. and, spreading MS wings, sudden-
.ly seizss ihe line with his beak, and !
then. alternately With beas nd loot
h:u1ls up a flag ASIA ssilors would.
hand over hand. until it is fast at the top
"a then goes througlrthe same per-
formsnce with the other dags in suc-
eessien. 80
Several letters of the alphabet are
placed upright on the table, and Char :
LEXIS agan brought forward, plumin e
himself as before. A spectatorcal lls
a Bitter. Ghfey hesitates, inclin e
he'd to onessde, appeTstdrsflsct then
Suddenly advances and pickles M, the
letter named, andrepeatiug e the perform
ance with other letters called for. SUD-
denly little Tom Jumps off his perch.
runs up, seizes, the remaining letters
ons after another, and pitches them
away on tire floor. Another parrot then
appears, and at-the word of command
throws several somersaults on the table.
Two others follow, and waltz slowly
round while the music plays.
OfsaH parrots VI, ABBY considers the
white cockatoos the most gifted in re-
-eard-to agiiitv and eapabiHty fOrlear
ing tricks being. in fact, acrobats by
nature They are very slow in learn
ing tofalk, but they are easily tanned.
and understand ard do THAT they are
told. d.-La' ITatssrs4s